In the iconic neighbourhood of La Malagueta – Parish Church of St Gabriel the Archangel 📷 Málaga – Spain

Exploring the city, whether in outlying areas or right in the centre, sometimes leads me to discover beautiful, hidden spots that are often overlooked. In this case, something made me look in a particular direction and I discovered a modern yet beautiful parish church.

When I usually plan a visit to a church or parish to explore it, I check the opening hours or, if I can’t find them online, at least look up the Mass timetable, which tells me it will be open and available to visit an hour beforehand, but this time it didn’t work out that way.

I was wandering around the city and, after visiting other places, I headed to the most famous neighbourhood where all the tourists congregate. There were lots of people walking here and there, plenty of traffic, and as I passed the seafront promenade, about two or three streets east of the city centre, I came across a building I’d never noticed before. Of course, I was always looking around at the modern buildings in the área, which are, in fact, close to La Malagueta beach and its promenade – but for some reason, that particular building with its exposed brickwork had previously escaped my notice.

The afternoon sun was shining on it and, although it’s a fairly modern parish church, as evident from its exterior façade, I found it very beautiful, nestled amongst some trees, with its tall vertical stained glass windows and gabled roof standing out in particular, giving me the impression of a grand house.

I walked around the surroundings, noticing that it had two entrances: a main one that seemed to be closed and a side entrance, through which I could see people going in. It is the first church I have seen built of brick in this style and design. It isn’t old, and that was obvious at a glance, but it was nonetheless very pretty.

It was established in 1953–1954 but initially operated under the auspices of the Noble Hospital, which is very close by, using its chapel. Construction actually began in 1967 and was completed in 1968, when it opened its doors. I couldn’t find much information about the parish; I suppose that’s because it’s a modern building.

I went in through the main door, not knowing what to expect, and when I saw the interior, I thought it was beautiful, particularly because of the excellent lighting. There were quite a few people there, which suggested that Mass was about to start, so I couldn’t get very close to the front to take photographs, but I managed to get some very good close ups with my mobile, especially of the altar.

I think this was the first time I’d taken photos with so many people around, but as it’s a church situated right in the city centre, in a neighbourhood where tourism is the norm, it’s hardly surprising to see people taking photos inside churches. Even so, I wanted to be respectful during the service and finish up early.

As I mentioned, every church has its own unique features; in this case, the most beautiful aspecto, and what caught my eye the most, was the excellent lighting, which was down to a combination of factors.

For one thing, the church is decorated with beautiful lamps on the walls, I think they’re shaped like trees, or at least that’s how they look to me, and as there are so many of them, the side walls look absolutely stunning in contrast to the exposed brickwork.

Another detail that I think helps with the good distribution of light is that these side walls aren’t smooth; rather, they’re constructed in such a way that there are different levels, with the widest part of the church being at the back and these varying levels then leading down towards the altar. I hope I’m explaining this clearly.

But also, within each of these decorative features or designs on the walls, there are some beautiful stained-glass Windows, the ones I’d seen from outside as large windows. Stained-glass windows with beautiful colours that, in turn, let the sunlight filter through in a marvellous way.

And not only that, but as I stood a little way in front of the church, when I turned round and looked back towards the entrance, I saw even more light coming through various coloured windows. I’d already seen this feature in another modern church as well.

Finally, I should mention that in various parts of the church there were a variety of decorations, ranging from sculptures and crosses to scenes from the Stations of the Cross on the walls, all arranged very delicately and in harmony with their surroundings.

Another detail I’d like to mention,simple, yet very beautiful, is the altar cross, featuring some lovely sculptures. They are arranged lengthwise and are situated in the centre behind the altar itself, giving that part a very distinctive appearance.

It was a wonderful discovery that I hadn’t expected, and although I wasn’t able to take any close-up photographs, the experience was very enjoyable. Lots of people began to file in and Mass started; I stayed for a few minutes and then left, marvelling at the unique beauty of this lovely parish church of St Gabriel the Archangel, a beautiful name for a church where energy and light are in perfect harmony.

Thank you very much for joining me today; I send you my warmest regards. See you soon.
Amonet.